Amalgamating apparatus



(No Model.) 3 sheetssheen 1.

J. W. HAOKETT. AMALG'AMATING APPARATUS.

Patented June 9, 1896.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

J. W. HAOKETT. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

Patented (T1126 9, L896.

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J. W. HAOKETT. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

' Nb. 561,952. Patented June 9, 1896.

AnuREW anumAr-Lmowummwmnmmomna UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN W. HACKETT, OF CHARLESTOIVN, INDIANA.

AMALGAM-ATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,952, dated J 111189, 1896.

Application filed March 22, 1896. Renewed April 3,1896. Serial No.586,131. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may OOH/08772,:

Be itkn own that I, JONATHAN XV. IIACKETT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Charlestown, in the county of Clark and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmalgamating Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described,reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, which illustrate oneform in which I have contemplated einbodying my invention, and saidinvention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofmy improved amalgamating apparatus. Fig. 1 is a detail sectional viewillustrating the feeding-hopper and adjustable gate for the same. Fig. 1is a sectional view of the magnetic riffle-board. Fig. 1 is a partialtop plan view of the same. Fig. l is a sectional view of one of thespringhangers for the reciprocating pan and its supports. Fig. 1 is aside elevation of one of said hangers. Fig. 2 represents a verticallongitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly insection, showinga different form of apparatus for agitating the contentsof the pan and removing the gold therefrom. Fig. Sis an end view of themachine, partly in section. Fig. dis a detail view of one of the rakesshown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of rollerfor removing gold from the pan.

In the drawings, A represents the main framework of the in achin e,which supports the receiving-hopper I located at one end of the machineand provided with a rotary screen C.

Z) represents a chute through which the ground, crushed, or powdered oreis fed into the interior of the rotary screen, and 1) represents adischarge'chute at the opposite side of the hopper through which thecoarse material not capable of passing through the rotary screen isdischarged from the machine. (See Fig. 3.) In the lower part of thehopper there is a narrow delivery opening or slit in which is located afeeding-roller D, positively operated by suitable driving mechanism. Oneedge of the delivery-opening is provided with a pivoted gate d, which isforced into engagement with the feed-roller D by means of a spring d,(see Fig. 1 secured to a part of the hopper and engaging said gate. Inorder to vary the tension of this spring and thus regulate the feed ofthe roller D, I provide a bolt (2 which is secured to the hopper andpasses through the spring (1, and an adj Listing-nut d is provided onthe bolt d to adjust the tension of the spring d. I may place a coiledspring (I on said bolt between the nut d and spring (1, if desired, asshown in the drawings, Fig. 2, but this is not essential, as the nutmight engage the spring (1 directly.

A reciprocating separating-pan E is suspended by sprin g-hangers in themain frame of the machine. Upon a horizontal bar of the frame plates 6 eare secured, as shown in Fig. 2, provided with segmental or curvedslotted portions. Each of the hangers consists of a piece ofspring-steel or other material 6, (see Figs. 1 and 1%) at each end ofwhich are the bearing-collars e 6 riveted or otherwise secured thereto.I

The separati ng-pan E is provided with. trunnions which are engaged bythe bearing at the lower end of each hanger, and the upper end of eachhanger is engaged by a bolt 6 having its head in rear of the slottedportions of one of the plates e and its stem extending through said slotand the bearing of the hanger and provided with a wing-nut c forclamping the hanger in the desired position. It will be seen byreference to Fig. 2 that by moving the hangers to different positions inthe slot-ted supports 6 e the movements of the pan and its position canbe changed and regulated. The pan E is reciprocated upon said hangers bymeans of one or more eccentrics f (or cranks) on a shaft F, which is thedriving-shaft of the machine, said eccentrics bein g provided withstraps and eccentricrods f, (preferably of spring 1l1fl.t6lltl,) whichare connected to the pan E.

G represents What I term the magnetic rifle-board which is supported inan inclined position beneath the feed-roller D by means of rods g g,secured to the pan E. This board is shown in detail in Figs. '1 and 1,and consists of a base-board 9, preferably of wood,

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surrounded on its rear end and sides by a rim of metal 9 Upon the board9 are two sheetsteel casings g arranged in step form, as shown, andbeneath each of these casings is a transverse row of magnets g arrangedas close together as desired, the said magnets being preferably set in amortise or mortises in the board g and held in position by strips 1secured to the under side of said board.

A pair of separating-rollers II II are supported upon shafts mounted inbearings provided on portionsof the main frame, so as to bring the lowerparts of said rollers into the pan E and adjacent to the bottom thereof,as shown in Fig. 2. The pan E has its bottom and sides lined with copperand amalgamated with mercury in the usual manner, and I prefer toprovide the pan with a removable false bottom E, supported in aslightly-inclined position by a flange or web secured to the inner wallsof the pan, so that the bottom maybe removed to facilitate the removalof the gold. The rollers II II have their exterior surface covered withor composed of copper, also amalgamated, and the said rollers are drivensimultaneously by means of sprocketchain gearing, as shown in Fig. 1, orin any other desired manner, from the main driving-shaft. .At one endthe pan E is provided with a delivery-orifice E fitted with a valve Eoperated by a screw-shaft E and hand-wheel E from the top of the pan, asshown in Fig. 2.

The main or driving shaft F is provided in this instance with a pinion fwhich meshes with an internal power-multiplying gear 1' on a shaft I,which is provided with a sprocketwheel 1', connected by a sprocket-chainwith sprocket-wheels for driving the revolving cylinder-screen C and thefeed-roller D.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The ground or crushed ore,either wet or dry, is fed into the chute b and conducted to the interiorof the rotary screen 0. The fine material falls through the screen intothe lower part of the hopper and the coarser particles are dischargedfrom the screen through chute Z). The fine material will be fedpositively by the rollerD upon the magnetic riflie-board, whichreciprocates with the pan E. The effect of the magnetic ri'lile-board isto hold any particles of iron or other magnetic ore and allow the otherportions to pass on and fall upon the roller II and thence into the panE. The magnetic particles may be removed from time to time from theriffie-board in any desired way. Then the material reaches the pan E,the particles of gold will be attracted by the amalgamated surfaces ofthe pan and rolls II II, and said material will be gradually fed fromone end of the pan to the other by the inclined bottom and will be actedupon successively by the rolls II II. From time to time or continually,as desired, portions of the material which have passed the two rollerswill be discharged through the outlet E, and the outflow can beregulated as desired. The machine can be used with dry material or thematerial may be mixed with water, which will. ordinarily assist in theseparation of the gold.

I sometimes prefer to remove the rollers II, II and substitute thereforthe traveling rake shown in Fig. 2. This consists of sprocket-chains KK, supported on suitable shafts, which are mounted in the bearings forthe rollers H H, said sprocket-chains carrying a series of rakes 75,formed as shown in Fig. t.

The teeth of each of these rakes are composed of copper and amalgamatedin the usual manner. The rake is driven in any preferred way, as bysprocket-chain, and is made to travel from the inlet end of the pan E toits outlet end While in the pan. This rake will thoroughly agitate thematerial in the pan and the slender rake-teeth will be effective incatching fine particles of float-gold. I may find it advisable to stopthe outflow for a time, operate the rake as just described, and thenremove the rake and insert the rollers ll, so as to secure the bestresults and to remove all the gold from the material. I may also employ,instead of the rollers II, rollers provided with pins or teeth, as shownin Fig. 5, in which L represents the roller, provided with a series ofscrew-threaded apertures, and Z Z represent the teeth, preferablyscrewed into said apertures, so as to be removable, if desired. Byemploying this form of roll I can use it with or without the teeth orpins, as preferred.

It will be understood that the pins or teeth are of copper, as is thesurface of the roll, and both are amalgamated in the usual manner.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In anamalgamating apparatus the combination with the feeding devices, of areciprocating pan provided with amalgamated surfaces, movable devieesprovided with amalgamated surfaces supported independently of said panbut movable therethrough, and a magnetic riifle'board supported uponsaid pan, beneath said feeding devices, substantially as described.

2. In an amalgamating apparatus the combination with the feedingdevices, of the separating-pan, provided with amalgamated internalsurfaces, a series of rollers having amalgamated surfaces adapted to beremovably supported in operative relation with said pan, and an endlesscarrier provided with rakes having amalgamated teeth adapted to besupported removably in operative relation with said pan and drivingapparatus for operating said rollers and said carrier whereby saidrollers and rake may be used interchan geably, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN IV. IIAOKETT.

IVitnesses:

O. L. BoTToRFF, W. H. WArsoN.

